Devices for indicating and playing card games



Jan. 6, 1959 M. DANIELS I 2,867,044

DEVICES FOR INDICATING AND PLAYING CARD GAMES Filed Sept. 16, 1955 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F/G/ -l ll ifi M?" I ,2 ll II'II II II/IIII II II II I] II II II F d a I c, z$h f/d N I I N m/c/rs w 50o0ooo0oooo0o E cccccccdccccQ 1 I mvzazsernxo/mu' j I 7 I I T C I 5 u 1 J Inventor Attorneys Jan. 6, 1959 Filed Sept. 1a, 1955 M. DANIELS 2,867,044

DEVICES FOR INDICATING AND PLAYING CARD GAMES 2 Sheets-sheaf 2 v a r w 14AR DANIELS: MQM

A Home ys DEVICES FOR INDICATING AND PLAYING CARD GAMES Mark Daniels, Hendon, London, England Application September 16, 1955, Serial No. 534,830

4 Claims. (Cl. 35-8) This invention relates to devices of the kind for indicating and playing of hands in card games, such as for example contract bridge, for instructional or amusement purposes.

It relates more particularly to devices of this kind which enable the representation of a plurality-of hands, preferably four hands, one at each side of a board or tray and comprising means displaceable to simulate the playing of individual cards.

The invention has for an object to provide an improved device of this kind by means of which any set of hands can be readily represented and the playing of the cards simulated. Once the hands have been set and played the device enables the same hands to be reset, when required, in a few seconds. Further the device does not, in any way, restrict the hands to set patterns and there is no limit to the number of sets of hands which can be played with it.

An object of the invention is accordingly to provide a device for enabling indication and playing of hands in card games, particularly bridge, of the kind enabling the representation of a plurality of hands, preferably four hands, one at each side of a board or tray and comprising means displaceable to simulate the playing of individual cards, characterised by means enabling the setting up of any selected hands from a set of 52 plaques each simulating one of a pack of cards, and means for reversing said cards in the order in which they are played.

Such device preferably comprises a polygonal preferably rectangular, board or tray having at each side bearing means for a plurality of members each angularly displaceable through about 180 and carrying or adapted to carry one of said plaques in a hand of preferably 13 cards.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the device,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a detail,

Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a plan view and an end elevation of another detail,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the movable peg, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 77 of Figure 1.

The device shown in the drawings consists of a rectangular tray a (Figure 1) and four rows of 13 rotatable card devices each close to and parallel to one of the sides of the tray. The cards are held firmly in position by two members, the bottom member a (Figure 7) forming an integral part of said tray and having thirteen semi-circular grooves b (Figure 1), and the upper member being a detachable retaining strip d also With thirteen semi-circular grooves e (see Figure 2) corresponding to those in the fixed member.

Each miniature playing card c, which may be, for example, 1" long by /z" wide, with its suit and denominanited States Patent"- ICC 2 tionimprinted on one face, is fixed as shown more clearly in Figures 3. and .4 at the'iend of a short shaft g, at the other end of which is a milled head: g, the whole being moulded in plastic, or.. castinothersuitable material, in one piece. Some of these miniature cards 0 (without their suits or denominations) are shown arranged for playing in Figure 1. Each shaft rests in one of the grooves b with its milled head between the fixed member a and the adjacent wall I of the tray. Each row of cards is maintained in its position by one of the detachable strips d which are themselves kept in position by four rotatable quadrants 7 (Figure 1) one at each corner of the tray.

A light movement with a finger, in a clockwise direction, across a milled head g rotates the associated card so that it is face downwards. A light movement with a finger, in a counterclockwise direction, across the milled heads of any cards facing downwards immediately returns them to their position with their faces uppermost. A small lip h (Figure 3) at the base of the card comes up against a ledge k (Figure 1) on the fixed member a to stop the card at the end of its travel in either direction.

By raising the detachable strips d the cards can readily be lifted out of their grooves to enable their relative positions and the hands to bechanged. They may be left in their positions when the device is not in use.

Parallel to the base of the tray or is a raised platform (Figures 1 and 7) which is about A high with two parallel series of 14 holes numbered 0 to 13. One series is marked N-S and the other E-W. The number of tricks won by each side is indicated by a small movable peg m (Figure 6) one for each partnership.

The device measures approximately 11" by 9%" by deep. It is so designed that the whole can be made in plastic or other suitable material and being light and compact it can be housed in a plastic or cardboard container. It can thus easily be carried and used indoors or out of doors, e. g. on motor, train, sea and air journeys or while sitting in ones garden, at the seaside or on board a ship. A table is not necessary.

The device is particularly useful for teaching beginners how to bid and play the hands in a card game such as bridge, since they can compare their OWn bidding and play with that of experts. Inthe same manner, those who already have some knowledge of the game can improve their bidding and play. The device is, moreover, a great timesaver to advanced players in assisting them in the solution of card playing problems such as double dummy bridge problems and in the analysis of contract bridge hands.

I claim:

1. A device enabling indication and playing of hands in card games, which device comprises a set of fifty-two plaques each simulating one of a pack of cards, a rectangular board, a plurality of members each fixedly mounted along a side of said board, a plurality of bearing means each for one of said plaques in a hand of cards, with said bearing means including recesses provided in said fixed members, a plurality of shaft members each disposed in a corresponding recess and turnable each through an angle of about about an axis substantially perpendicular to the side of one of said recesses, each of said shaft members carrying one of said plaques and a removable strip securing a selected plurality of said shaft members in-said recesses.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of said recesses comprises a semi-cylindrical groove in said fixed member and a complementary semi-cylindrical groove in said removable strip.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of said shaft members is a unitary member having at one end t nedaa -6,,.1959

a circular head whereby it is turnable and the plaque carried by said shaft being connected at the other end thereof.

4. A device according to claim 1, having a ledge presented by each of said fixed members, each of said shaft members having a radially projecting lip disposed to co-operate with said ledge to limit the turning of said shaft member to substantially 180".

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Littlefield Sept. 13, 1927 Goodwin Oct. 10, 1933 Stockton Aug. 23, 1938 Boyd Sept. 14, 1943 

